It is often the case that entrepreneurs have product ideas. Many times, those ideas are successful, and they materialize in action by entering the market successfully, grow and develop a good and healthy business. Experience tells us, however, that in most cases, it is not enough to just have a product idea or even a formed product to enter a market successfully.

You need the appropriate go-to-market strategy, the right mindset and team, the right leadership and problem-solving skills. The go-to-market strategy and matching the product to the market is essential for success. You need to identify what the product market fit is, understand who your target market and audience are, where they are and how to get them to want to use your product or service. Product market fit is matching the product to the market we are targeting focusing on the customer first.

In this go-to-market strategy, you will need to first identify your target market, that is define which market segment you can successfully target and where are the biggest pain points and gaps. Second, you will have to define your channels, that is where you can reach your target customers and where you can promote your company. Third, it is key to define what you are offering, that is what the key features and benefits of the product are to your customers: how is your product or service helping solve the needs and problems of your target customers?; Fourth, you will have to create a financial model by setting the price of the product and estimate the costs; Fifth, you will have to define your brand positioning, that is be sure that your product brand is perceived in the best possible and useful way in the market.

As you begin to grow, and you define your company´s core values, it is crucial to set the stage for scalability working in full alignment with your team leaders and the entire teams. You want to be sure that everyone in the company understands the plan under a common culture.

It is important to spend a lot of time with the founders or co-founders and the management team, talking about what kind of company you want to be. In the beginning, the team is usually very small, so it is important to optimize the business. The team needs to work independently but with the same mission, impact and vision.

In small companies, start-ups, or early businesses, and as you work with your teams, it is important to send the message to the teams that while specialization is essential, the ability to apply a range of skills across different contexts is equally valuable. This adaptability ensures that employees can contribute meaningfully to various facets of a project or organization, fostering a collaborative and resilient work culture.

In case of expansion, it is good to know who has what responsibilities and who will lead the teams. The rest of the team needs to understand what you want to build and what skills and knowledge you expect. Project management becomes increasingly important as new people join the team and the company.

As you advance into growth, it is key to provide structure and rhythm. You need to make sure that the whole team is kept informed, and everyone feels accountable, with skin in the game. Setting short, medium and long-term goals with clear objectives and key results is imperative for success. Paralysis by analysis is a common mistake to avoid.